


A Different Sort of Journey

by QueenOfStone



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-23
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-14 17:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3419720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfStone/pseuds/QueenOfStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Curse wizards...taking folks on journeys they didn't know they needed. Brynja had been content, mostly, with her life. Until one day a crazy Wizard whisked her off into her favorite story. Now she has to deal with a colossal set of problems, like getting the King Under The Mountain to stop being a stubborn ass and accepting the fact that a Hobbit from the Shire is his One. Also there's the pesky business of the Arkenstone and the One Ring but she'll deal with that once things stop trying to kill her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wizards....

**Author's Note:**

> Please forgive any errors. Also this is my first fic so don't be too harsh. I had an idea and I couldn't let it go. I'll upload as often as I can. Hopefully as this goes on I'll get better at writing.

Brynja knew she was odd. Always had been if she were to be absolutely honest. From her dark clothes to the music she listened to. Even her choice of reading material was odd. She didn't really have friends either. Which was fine. She didn't really need people. They were tedious half of the time and outright mean the other half. She shook her head to clear it of it's unpleasant thoughts. _“Don't think about it Brynja, you're fine just the way you are.”_ it was the voice of her father. She smiled. She was fine the way she was. Sure she was blunt but honestly there was no point in lying to people. Her dad had always said that she should be proud of her truthfulness. She trudged up the path towards her favorite spot, the bench slowly coming into view. This spot was always her safe haven. When she had been little her father had brought her here to play. It was in a shady spot, well hidden from the rest of the park. Solitude incarnate. She reached the bench and set down her bag. Turning, she faced the treeline that hid the rest of the park from view. “Perfect.” she whispered. She adjusted her dark blue coat and sat down. Opening her pack she pulled out her very battered copy of the Hobbit. She smoothed her hand over the cover, feeling every ridge, every imperfection. She opened the cover, crossed her booted feet and began to read.

She didn't know what stopped her from turning to the next chapter. Something felt off. Normally she could block out the world when she read. A bomb could have gone off and she would have been none the wiser. But today was different. She felt a shiver run up her spine, someone was staring at her. She whipped her head to the left, sending her auburn hair flying...nothing. Pushing her hair back she turned to the right. A pair of light blue eyes were staring at her. On her level. She pushed herself backwards, the wood of the bench digging into her spine. The book all but forgotten as she held it loosely in her hand. The man (she realized after a moment) smiled at the sight of the book. “Ahh, the Hobbit.” he said in a pleasant timbre. “I always enjoyed that story. Although I always found the ending to be...a little disappointing.” he finished with a sad smile. Brynja managed a weak smile at the man. “Thorin was a jerk.” she said. “but he wasn't himself...it was the Arkenstone. They should have left that cursed stone where they found it.” The man's smile grew broad. “You're a very cheeky girl. Not many your age have read these books. Or learned the lessons held within their pages.” he said. “I have almost everything Tolkien ever wrote.” she said, a hint of pride tingeing her voice. “ As for the lessons, well I learned early that the world can be cold and cruel but that as long as there as those willing to continue on it's not that bad.” she finished. The man nodded. There was a brief moment of silence. Brynja took this time to really look at the man. He was dressed in a gray suit. It looked a little shabby but otherwise it was nice. His silvery beard was trimmed and his hair seemed to be pulled back into a low ponytail. She looked back to the man's face. She was confused. This man was very polite but he had startled her. Why? Her confusion must have shown on her face. The man pulled himself up to his full height. “Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you but I was wondering if you might be able to help me?” he questioned with a raised brow. Brynja shrugged, he looked harmless enough. “I can certainly try. What do you need help with?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of gold. “I'm looking for someone to share in an adventure with.” And with that everything went black.

 

“Ow.” Brynja's head felt like it was going to split open. “I'm dead. That old guy killed me.” she said, eyes closed. Off to her left there was a deep but gentle laugh. That wasn't supposed to happen right? When you were dead you didn't hear laughter...or did you? She opened one eye tentatively. Wincing at the light that suddenly hit her. “If someone could turn that light off I would be really, really grateful.” she muttered, grimacing at how small her voice sounded. Soon enough a shape was standing in front of the light, blocking it out. “Oh thank you.” she huffed, opening her other eye. She blinked a few times. Everything was a little fuzzy around the edges. “ If you 'll allow me, I think it's best if you were to stand up.”  the deep voice said, reaching out what she thought must be a hand. She grabbed for it. It was rough but felt very solid. The hand and whoever it was attached to pulled her up gently. Soon enough she was on her feet. She felt a bit wobbly. And good gods did her head hurt. The laugh sounded again. She must have said that out loud. She felt someone else's hand on her shoulder, steadying her. Shaking her head gently, her vision cleared. The fuzzy edges disappearing. As her eyesight cleared the shape standing in front of her came into focus. It appeared to be a man, dressed in red shirt and black pants. He was holding a very large hammer in the hand that wasn't currently holding hers. That wasn't right. Hammers weren't that big, at least not any that she had ever seen. The hand on her shoulder moved off. She turned to look. The owner of this hand was a woman. A very pretty woman, in a green dress. What in the world was going on? Who were these people? Why did the man have such a massive hammer, why had the old man killed her and where in the world was she? The man and woman were standing side by side now. The man gently let go of her hand. “Every question you have will be answered, I promise.” the woman spoke this time, her voice light and airy. “We're just waiting for him to get here.” Brynja shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. “Him who?” she asked. The man and the woman shared a look. “Why Gandalf of course.” they said as one. Brynja opened her mouth but nothing came out. Closing it she tried again. “Gandalf? As in Gandalf the Grey? Mithrandir? Pointy hatted wizard from the Hobbit with a penchant for fireworks and dragging people off on adventures they don't want? That Gandalf?” she asked. The man and woman nodded. “That's it. I really am dead and this is all just one big cosmic joke. Even in death I get made fun of.” she hung her head sadly. She felt a gentle hand under her chin. It forced her head back up. She found herself staring into the light green eyes of the woman. “No one is making fun of you child, and you are not dead.” her voice was soft. The man came forward to stand next to her. “We know that this may seem odd,” Brynja laughed without thinking, “but everything will make sense shortly.” the man said smiling. “Alright. Well if I'm not dead then where am I? And who are you?” she questioned. The woman stepped back beside the man. “We are in the Inbetween. It's a meeting place of sorts.” the woman said. “As for who we are, I am Yavanna and this is my husband Aulë.” Brynja felt her jaw drop. “You're Valar? I'm talking to Valar.” she whispered. “Yes, you are.” Aulë said. “This is absolutely insane. Middle-Earth is made up. Tolkien made this all up as a bedtime story for his children. This isn't real. It can't be real.” she knew her voice was shaking but she couldn't help it. “John didn't make up Middle-Earth.” Yavanna said. “He knew about it's existence because he had been a part of it in a past life. The world you know is Middle-Earth, just one that has taken a different path. It's all very real.” she said., “Unfortunately, he altered the timeline. Things that shouldn't have been altered.” Aulë said with a grimace. “Like what?” Brynja said. “There were quite a few but the one that sticks out the most is the end of the Hobbit.” Yavanna said. “The line of Durin was never meant to die. The Hobbit was meant to stay in Erebor and his nephew Frodo was supposed to come live with him there. John thought it would make for a better story if the hero didn't get his happily ever after."  Aulë looked at his wife. “Don't forget about the ring.” he said. “The ring? Oh yes. Bilbo was supposed to lose that blasted bit of gold after the battle.” Yavanna finished. “So why am I here?” Brynja asked. “To help rewrite the tale of Middle-Earth of course!” came a new voice. Brynja whipped around. It was the man from the park! Gandalf. “You,” she snarled, “you knocked me out?” he had the good graces to look sheepish. “I am sorry for that. But traveling to the Inbetween is difficult when a mortal is conscious. It can break their minds.” he explained. “Oh because all of this isn't mind-breaking enough?” she asked. “I was minding my own business, enjoying what I thought was a fairy-tale, which I'm now told isn't exactly true?” her voice raising in pitch. “How am I supposed to handle any of this?” Aulë looked at her. “It's confusing I know, but we need your help. Without you the story will keep playing out the same. The line of Durin will die, the world will again see the rise of Sauron, and the ring will have to be destroyed all over again by a Hobbit who is barely an adult.” he looked sad as he finished. “Dammit....” she said. “Fine. I'll try. But I'm going to need a whole lot of help. I'm only human, and a pretty pathetic one at that.” The two gods looked at each other. “What?” that look was concerning. “You won't be human when you go to Middle-Earth.” Yavanna said. Brynja's head jerked back. “What will I be?” she asked. Yavanna looked at her husband. He stepped into Brynja's personal space and grabbed her by the shoulders. “We're going to make you a dwarf, a very fast, very strong dwarf.” he said simply. “Won't they know that I'm not? I mean I can't grow a beard, I'm very much a girl and I definitely can't lift a sword.” she said. “Don't worry.” he said smiling. “We'll give you everything you need. As for being female, half of all dwarf warriors are female. Another oversight by John.” he paused for a moment. “This might sting a bit.” and with that he slammed his forehead into hers. The forehead of a god was like the sky being dropped onto her head. She stumbled briefly, tears rushing to her eyes. “Sweet merciful...that hurt!” she squeaked. “The pain will fade momentarily.” he said before ushering his wife forward. “This will be unpleasant.” Yavanna said, a sad look in her eyes. “But it is necessary.” She took Brynja's hand. At first the fingers pressed against hers were cool. But as the hold went on they gradually got hotter. The heat was just past intense when Brynja felt her body lurch forward. She felt suddenly heavier. The heat was painful at this point. She could feel her body and mind both reeling and wrenching away from her. She screamed as darkness overcame her.

 

 _“This passing out thing is getting old.”_ she thought to herself as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes slowly. She was laying against a tree. “Now where am I?” she looked around. Standing not too far off was the wizard. He was dressed in his gray robes, staff in hand. He had a pipe hanging out of his mouth, smoking leisurely. He was leaning against a boulder watching her. “You're awake.” he said simply. She sighed as she pulled herself up, leaning against the tree for support. “So it would seem.” she said. She felt odd, heavy. “I feel strange. Like my body isn't mine.” she told him, not moving from the tree. “You are changed, but you will get used to it.” he said before pushing off from the boulder. “So what do I look like?” She asked, curiosity seeping into her voice. He beckoned her towards him. She stepped away from the tree carefully. This felt weird. Everything was so heavy. Was this how dwarfs felt all the time? She took measured steps, trying to not trip over her now too big feet. She reached Gandalf's side. “There is a pond just behind this boulder. It's surface is smooth as glass. You can look upon yourself there if you like.” She nodded. Using the boulder as support she walked around it. Sure enough there was a pond just beyond it. She stepped to the edge of it and looked down. Her hair and eyes were still the same color. Same cupid's bow lip. Same freckles. But her body was much bulkier. Her hands too. Pretty well everything below the neck was bulkier. She rotated her head from left to right. She had beads in her hair. And as she looked closely she could see that she did in fact have a very light red colored beard. Even it had beads. She was wearing a fitted dark green tunic, some sort of armor over that, light tan leather pants, a heavy leather fur coat and big metal plated boots. “Huh.”she said to herself. “Not bad for a dwarf.” from the other side of the boulder Gandalf chuckled. “Aulë and Yavanna are quite good at creating things.” he said loud enough for her to hear. “So,” she said as she walked back around the boulder to the wizard, “What now?” he cocked his head for a moment before answering. “I think it's time we headed for the Shire. We have a few days before the start of the journey.” he said. “So what's my story?” she asked as she adjusted her coat. “You are Brynja, daughter of Brund, a Dwarf of Erebor. The memory of you has been implanted in the minds of those who remember the mountain before the dragon. You live in the Iron Hills and when you heard about the quest you wanted to join. You were delayed but managed to get here in time.” he spun the tail easily. “Aulë has also implanted memories in you as well, hence the head bashing. You will remember them soon enough.” A god had messed with her memories, that seemed...unsavory but then again everything about this whole scenario was so at odds with reality that she just pushed the thought away. “Seems simple enough.” she said. A thought occurred to her. “I don't have any weapons.” He looked at her before reaching into his long sleeve. He produced a heavy looking belt out of it. Attached to it was a brutal looking sword. He handed it to her. It wasn't as heavy as it looked. Shrugging, she wrapped the belt around her waist, under the coat, and clasped it shut. It felt oddly right. She shook her head and looked up. “Let's do this.”

 

They walked for two days before resting on the outskirts of the Shire. She had to admit being a dwarf had it's perks. She'd gotten more or less used to the oddity of being in a different body. It still felt a bit off but she supposed she had plenty of time to get used to it. What was messing with her more than anything where the random bits of memory that kept popping into her head. It was unnerving to see her face and body living a life that she had no knowledge of, she might as well get used to that as well. As she sat on the grass soaking up the sun Gandalf dropped a pack beside her. “You'll need this.” he said before sitting down beside her. She opened the pack. Inside were a cloak, vambraces, a few changes of clothes, a bedroll and something that shined. “What's this?” she said pulling on a thin silver chain. As she pulled, the chain released from the bag revealing a pale blue stone in a silver setting. “It's a gift from Aulë and Yavanna. It will enable you to move about undetected when you wish. It has the same ability as Bilbo's ring but it is not tied to the Dark Lord.” She held the necklace in her hand. “How?” she asked. “When worn all you have to do is think about being unseen and it will work.” Simple enough. She put the necklace on and set it inside her tunic. The stone was warm against her skin.

 

The next morning saw Gandalf returning in a huff. “Hobbits and their snooty ways.” he huffed. She laughed. “He can't exactly help it. It's in his nature.” she said. “Be that as it may, if he wasn't such a good friend later in life I would teach him a lesson on manners.” he said with no real malice. “Sure.” she replied dusting off her coat as she stood. She reached into the pack and pulled out the vambraces. Turning them over in her hands she had to admire the work put into them. They really were beautiful. Soft dark leather with silver plates and buckle fasteners that went marching down to a strip of leather and metal that went around her hand. She slipped them on and tightened the straps...a perfect fit.

 

As the time of the party neared she found herself pacing. Gandalf was seated on the ground watching her. “You keep that up and the Shire will have a trench etched through it.” he murmured around his pipe. “I'm nervous.” she said wringing her hands. “I have absolutely no idea why I agreed to help on this venture. They're going to know in a second that I'm an imposter. I'm probably going to be killed before I ever even open my mouth. I should just turn invisible now.” she was babbling but she couldn't help it. Gandalf stood slowly. “You will be fine. If they ask a question the memories will take over.” his voice said soothingly. “I need you to stay right here for the moment. Thorin should be along shortly, it's best if this time he doesn't get lost.” he said. “Twice.” Brynja muttered. The wizard laughed at that before turning and walking away. _“Wizards..”_ she thought to herself. Now which direction was he supposed to be coming from? She leaned against a nearby post. “Best to just wait.” She didn't have to wait long.

 

He was shocked. He didn't think anyone else was coming. But lo and behold there was a dwarf leaning against the sign post. In the fading light, he saw the flash of silver beads as the dwarf shook their head. The stance said female. As he got closer he was proven correct. The dwarf was in fact female. She was dressed simply enough, not overstated so as to draw attention but still finely enough to make no mistake as to who she was. It was Brynja. She was a legend among every hold. Her prowess on the battlefield was something that all dwarrows aspired to. Even Dwalin was envious of her. She noticed him just as he came to a stop in front of her. “Lady Bryjna.” he said bowing low. She smiled and pushed off the post. “Your Majesty.” she returned the bow. “I did not expect you to be joining us.” he said. “When word reached me of what you were planning on doing I could not stand idly by. Erebor was my home as well. I would see it returned to it's glory and the dragon filth removed.” she said, lips twisted into a growl at the thought of the dragon. He smirked. Brynja was as fierce as they had said. It would be an honor to have her among his company. “The wizard said that this hole was at the top of a hill?” he looked at her in askance. She nodded and pointed. “Aye, I've been waiting here gauging the best time to make my entrance. I suppose we should go up together.” she said. He nodded. Bowing again, he gestured for her to go first. With a sweep of her coat and a flash of auburn hair she was off. He trailed close behind.

 

 _“Where in the hell had that come from?”_ she thought to herself as she stopped in front of the door. _“Must be the implanted memories.”_ Even her voice had sounded different. Bigger, fuller, more confident. She kinda liked it. She raised her hand to knock before stopping herself. She looked back at the would be King. Stepping back she gestured for him to move forward. This was his part to play after all. She could hear the singing voices inside and just under it the sound of someone protesting. Thorin raised his fist and knocked. The voices inside ceased. She heard the sound of squawking as the door opened to reveal, an empty space. She peered around the King's shoulder. Bilbo was short. She hadn't realized how small Hobbits were til seeing one face to face. Speaking of faces his looked rather red? Thorin marched through the door and she followed. Gandalf stood a bit behind the Hobbit overseeing the mess. He had a small smile on his face. Thorin was charming as ever and the poor Hobbit looked like he was fit to burst. "He looks more like a gorcer, than a burlgar." he said before sweeping off to deal with the rest of the Company. The Hobbit looked very upset. Sighing she paused for a moment to look down at the cherubic face. “Brynja, daughter of Brund, at your service.” she said as she bowed. The Hobbit bowed back. “Forgive my fellow dwarrows, Master Baggins. They are a hard and proud lot, unused to the gentle nature of Hobbits.” the displeased look on his face disappeared. “Thank you, m'lady.” he said, a small smile appearing on his face. “I'm afraid I don't know how to handle dwerrows en masse. Especially when I have no real warning as to their arrival.” he shot the wizard a look as he finished his statement. She chuckled. “No thanks necessary. I suppose we should join the others and see what all this business is about.” the hobbit nodded and led her to the kitchen. She stood off to the corner as they discussed the mountain, the acquisition of the Hobbit and said Hobbit passing out.

 

It was much later, after the song had been sung and everyone had settled down for the night that Brynja decided to go visit the Hobbit. She knocked gently on his door. “Come in.” a small voice said from inside. She slipped in and closed the door. “Master Baggins, I know that this all seems quite mad but you are integral to the success of this journey.” she said quickly. The Hobbit was seated on his bed. He really did look quite small. No wonder they were often confused for children. He scrubbed his face with his hands. His golden curls flying. “This is too much. They want me to confront a dragon?!” his voice was scared. “You will not be alone Master Baggins. I promise you that. I will make sure that no harm comes to you.” her voice was firm. “How can you promise that? Not even Gandalf could promise that.” his shoulders dropped. “Wizards never make promises. But I have something on my side that the wizard does not.” she said. “What's that?” his voice was pitiful. “The blessing of two gods and a magic necklace which will ensure that we do not fail.” she said moving to crouch in front of the Hobbit. “I know it's asking far too much for such a gentle Hobbit as yourself but please believe me, without you we are doomed.” She finished, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and pushing him to lay on his pillow. He nodded. “Good.” she stood back up and walked to the door. “Oh Master Baggins?” she said over her shoulder. “Hmm?” he asked surpressing a yawn. “Make sure to bring hankies and extra clothes in your pack.” and with that she opened the door and was gone. The Company was surprised when the Hobbit came chasing after them. Brynja was not. She smiled at the sight of him. He handed Balin the contract and was quickly seated on a pony. She urged her pony to his side. “Glad you could make it.” she said. He smiled at her. “I almost forgot what you had said about the hankies and the clothes.” she laughed at that. “Glad you remembered.” she said. “If you'll excuse me I have to go ride in the rear.” and she turned her pony and nudged it to the back. Bofur moved up to take her place beside the Hobbit.

She was wet and miserable. “Mahal bless it...”she cursed out. Behind her Kili and Fili snickered. Loudly. Her hair was plastered to her face and she had sunk low into the saddle. She looked at everyone else around her. They looked as miserable as she felt. Glancing off to her left she could see the Hobbit huddled under his borrowed cloak. At least he wasn't drenched. The last thing they needed was a sickly Hobbit this early on. Thorin had looked surprised when she had offered her cloak to the Burglar. His was packed somewhere in the rear and it was just easier to give him hers. She had raised a brow at the King but he had said nothing. “Master Baggins..”she started. “Please, just call me Bilbo.” came a voice from under the hood. “Alright Bilbo, remember what I said before we left the Shire?” she said quietly. “About the blessing and the necklace?” he asked, pushing the hood back a little to look at her. “Yes, would you do me the service of not saying anything to anyone?” he looked surprised. “Why?” he asked, eyes wide. “Because they cannot know. When the journey is over and the Mountain is once again ours I will tell them. But not until then.” her jaw had set into a firm line. “I won't say anything.” he promised. She nodded and attempted to pull her hair back off her face. After a few more grueling miles Thorin called a halt. She slid off her pony and went to help Bilbo off his. Her cloak was drenched but the Hobbit underneath was dry as a bone. She grabbed her pack off of her pony and ushered the Hobbit to nearby shelter. Everyone else followed.

Her hair was an absolute mess. Drying it by the fire had only made the waves in it worse. She reached into the pocket of her drying coat and grabbed out a thick, heavy bead. _“Thank you Mahal for thick beads.”_ She thought as she braided it back and brought the clasp around it. Without the hair in her face she leaned back against the wall of the shelter and stared at the Company. Bilbo was sitting next to Bofur and Bombur. Every one else was sprawled on their bedrolls enjoying the fire, talking, except for Thorin. He was standing of to the side, looking out over their surroundings. _“Of course he has to look all broody and majestic.”_ she thought to herself before chuckling quietly. She fiddled with her vambrace straps before a large shadow fell across her. She looked up to see Dawlin staring down at her. “Something on your mind, Master Dwalin?” she asked, sounding braver then she thought possible. He sat down in front of her. “I have a question for ya.” he said. She raised her brow at that. _What question could the warrior possibly have for her?_ “Could I see it?” he asked, eyes looking hopeful. “What?” her tone was quiet. “The scar, the one that everyone always talks about.” He pointed to her chest. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the implanted memories wash over her. In a rush she saw it. A battlefield littered with bodies. A warrior dressed in shining armor, covered in dirt and blood. The warrior turned, showing Brynja an armor covered chest, embedded just above where their heart would be was an enormous mace. Her eyes snapped open. She looked at the warrior in front of her. “If you wish.” she said loosening the knot that held her tunic closed. She stood up and walked closer to the fire, shucking her tunic off as she went. She quickly adjusted her chest binding and turned to face the warrior, chin held high. His eyes were wide at the sight of the scar. She looked down at it after a moment. The skin was a mass of twisting, silver and pink scars that radiated out to her sternum and up to her collarbone. From her vantage point she could see how close it had really come to hitting her heart. As she looked back up the Company, including Bilbo, were all standing in front of her looking at her. Some had a look of pity, others horror. Even Thorin had turned to look, his eyes unreadable. She let her head fall forward. After a moment she felt someone touch her hand. It was Bilbo. He had her tunic in his other hand. She reached for it gratefully. Sliding it back around her shoulders she stared back up at the Company. “So? Any one feel like saying anything?” she asked. Dwalin suddenly surged up from his seat and pulled her into an embrace. _“Why was he hugging her?”_ She awkwardly patted the broad shoulders. “I shouldn't have asked.” he said into her hair. “It's alright Dwalin. It's just a scar. I'm still alive and well, it'll take more than a mace to kill me.” she said. He pulled back from her. The entire Company looked uncomfortable by the display. She put her arms back through the sleeves of her tunic and set to tying it. Thorin moved away from his spot to stand in front of her. “We all know of the sacrifice you made that day. We owe much to you and to Roran.” her heart thudded at the name. _Who was Roran?_ And why did the mention of that name make her chest hurt. “You lost much on that day and we will never forget it.” he motioned for Dwalin to take his spot on the overlook, he would be taking the first watch.

 

_She felt the ground shake. The cries of dwarf and orc rung out over the field. At her back she could feel him cutting through the hoard of orcs that had flanked them. “Come on then! Is this the best you got?” He just couldn't leave well enough alone. “Roran, stop taunting the beasts. They're dead already, they just don't know it.” she said laughing as she cut through a nearby orc. “Of course my love.” he said. She dispatched the last orc and turned to Roran. He lunged forward, his axe cutting through skull and brain. He turned to her as he yanked his axe free. He brought a hand up to her cheek, cupping it gently. “You are a sight to behold, covered in blood and dirt, and still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.” his thumb brushed along her cheek bone. She leaned into it for a moment, savoring the feeling. “We should move. The battle waits for no one.” he said. She nodded. He quickly pulled her close and kissed her hard. They separated slowly. “I will find you when the battle is over. Be safe my love.” he said before sprinting away._

_She knew the moment he fell, it felt like all the breath in her body had been ripped away. It left her gasping. He was gone! No, no that wasn't right. He couldn't be. Her chest was on fire. She needed to find him. Now. She ripped her helm off and gripped her sword tight. The anguish she felt burning in her throat forced her legs to move. “Roran!!!!” she screamed. The dwarfs near her flinched. She had to find him. She tore off in the direction he had gone. She waded through the bodies. Orc and dwarf. The ground stained with blood. She saw movement in the distance, it was Thror. Surely her King would know. She rushed to him. He was seated on the ground holding something. She slid to his side. What he was holding stopped her heart completley. “Roran...” she moaned. Her king placed a hand on her shoulder. “He is gone.” he said simply. She pulled Roran's body to her. She pressed her head to his. “Please no....” she muttered against lips already cold. “Please come back. I can't...” she couldn't finish her statement. Behind her the battle raged on. Thror, already standing back up, looked behind. “We cannot falter Brynja, he would want us to keep fighting.” he said before heading back to the fray. The pain in her heart was too much. Her One was gone. She looked at his face, that handsome face that had been laughing so shortly before. If he was gone then she would follow. Pressing a kiss to his lips she laid him down gently. “Don't worry my love, I'll be along soon.” she said, a mirthless grin twisting her lips. She stood on shaky legs. Turning to the battle, she gripped her sword and walked into it._

 

The morning sun was barely up, she watched as the sky lit with red and orange. The memories of Roran floated through her head. “How awful.” she muttered. To lose something so precious as a One. It's no wonder the others had looked at her like that last night. She could feel a tear making it's way down her cheek. She didn't bother to stop it. It was kind of cruel really. The memory of a great encompassing love that had never existed. She pressed her hand to her chest. It didn't stop the pain, no matter if the memory was real or fake. She heard the others start to move about. They would be off soon. 

 _"Bless the Hobbit's Tookish nature."_ she thought as she re-sheathed her sword and tightened her vambraces. Being a meal for a troll wasn't exactly how she saw herself dying. 

 

Mountains could fight and goblins were foul, disgusting creatures. Especially their King. _“I will never ever be able to unsee that.”_ she thought as they continued to fight their way out of Goblin Town. She knew that right about now Bilbo should be dealing with Gollum. She shoved her sword into the chest of a rushing goblin. The squeal of the beast made her ears ring, and the sudden gush of blood made her stomach turn. She would be glad to be back on solid ground again. Goblins were terrible at building. 

She sat through Thorin's tirade about how the Hobbit had abandoned them. He really was a dick sometimes. She couldn't help the smile that forced it's way to her lips as she saw Bilbo walk out from nothing. Everyone looked shocked, none more so than Thorin. “Why did you come back?” Thorin said. She knew that this was the beginning of the turning point. This was the start of what would happen between them. Bilbo launched into his speech about home and how he would help them take back theirs. She had to give him credit, the hobbit had a spine of steel to stand up to Thorin. Of course the peace didn't last long.


	2. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brynja is honest with the dwarrows. Well partially at least.
> 
> Any mistakes are mine, sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really short. I typed it out really quickly and wanted to upload it before I forgot. Again I'm sorta screwing with the timeline but not really.

The tree was going to go over the edge and they were going to die. And stubborn ass that the King was he couldn't just let the Orc's taunts go. She watched as he stood up on the trunk of the tree and charged. “Idiot.” she muttered to herself. The other dwarrows watched in horror as Thorin threw himself at Azog. “Stupid, bull-headed idiot King.” she said. Turning to Bilbo she realized what he was planning. He really was very brave. He went haring off after Thorin, sword drawn. “Dammit.” she said. She threw herself back up onto the tree. He wasn't going to face the Pale Orc alone this time. She pulled her sword and went after him. Bilbo was defending Thorin when she arrived next to him. The Pale Orc looked surprised. His pale eyes were wide. “A dwarf maid...I think once I kill all your friends I'll take you with me.” he said to her. His eyes wandered over her, lust evident. “It'll be a cold day in hell before you lay a hand on me, you disgusting sack of shit.” she spat. She brought her blade up, feeling braver than she thought possible. He hunched low over his Warg. With a cry she lurched forward. _“The others will be here soon, just have to hold out for a few seconds_.” she thought as she slashed at the Warg's face.The Warg and it's rider reared, a clawed foot hitting her in her side. Pain ripped through her but she had to stay focused. Another Warg and rider were bearing down on her, she swung wide. Her sword hit home just as her comrades slammed into the battle. She turned her head back to where Thorin was laying, ignoring the pain in her side. His shield was laying on the ground and everything was on fire. She sprinted back to where he was laying, her fingers barely brushed against his shield before the ground suddenly leaped back away from her. The Eagles had arrived.

She stood off to the side as Thorin berated the Hobbit before pulling him into a fierce hug. That was a good sign at least.  She heaved a sigh before gasping in pain. “Damn, that hurts.” she muttered. “What's wrong lass?” the gentle drawl of Oin's voice drawing her attention. “ I think I broke some ribs back there.” she muttered. “We'll tend to it when we make camp.” he said, turning his attention back to the mountain in the distance.  They picked their way off the Carrock. The pressure in her side was getting worse the further she walked, her limbs growing heavier with each step. Bilbo kept looking at her, worry etching itself into his forehead. She caught his eye as he looked at her again. “Bilbo, you're staring.” she said. It was getting hard to breathe. “You are hurt. Why aren't we stopping to tend to the wounded?” he asked, eyes hardening. She drew in a small breath. “We need to get off this rock first.” she said, wincing as her ribs protested. The world was tilting away from her before she knew what to do, her peripheral vision going fuzzy. The next thing she knew she was on her knees, her sword had buried into a slot in the rocks, keeping her from falling completely over. “Brynja...” the panicked voice of Bilbo cut through the haze. She looked at his stark white face and gave him a half smile before the world went dark.

Wherever she was, it was warm. The air against her skin felt nice. _“Wait, skin....what the?”_ she struggled to sit up, eyes going wide. They were at Beorn's. Everything was heavy and her ribs felt like they were on fire. She groaned, she was naked from the waist up. “Easy lass.” Oin's voice drifted to her ears. He was sitting on the ground a few feet away watching her. “You took quite the beating back there. Never seen someone fight so recklessly before.” he muttered, eyeing her with a knowing look. She met his look with one of her own. “ I wouldn't let harm come to our King or our Burglar.” she said, tilting her chin up. He shook his head. “I know why you fight the way you do.” he said, “You wish to be with your One. We all know it. He died saving Thror, just like you almost died saving Thorin.” he finished with a shake of his head. Another memory washes over her. _This time it's Thorin who is laying on the ground injured. She can't tell where but the grimace on his face says that he is in pain. Suddenly his eyes go wide. An enormous orc is walking straight for him, it's intent pretty apparent. He tries to get up but falters. She reaches out and grabs his arm, hauling him to his feet. "Run, I'll take care of this." He shakes his head. Stubborn as always. "Fine, but at least get behind me." she says, no use arguing. Raising her sword she looks back at the Prince. "Watch my back." She  says before launching herself at the orc. Maybe this time they'll take her. Maybe this time she'll finally be able to see Roran. The orc is caught off guard but quickly recovers. She jams her sword into it's gut. It swats her away like she's nothing. She hits the ground hard. She can feel every muscle cry out in agony. She has to get up, it's coming for Thorin. She needs to move now or the Prince is dead. With a speed she didn't know she had she's up and running at the lumbering orc. It's sword raised high in the air. "Baruk Khazâd!!" she screams slamming into the orc with everything she has. It falters. That's all she needs. She dives for her sword and rips it out of the orc's belly. She sees her chance and cuts a broad arc through the air. The orc takes another step before it falls. The ground shakes as the orc hits it's knees. It's guts laying on the ground. Her left arm is hanging at her side. Dislocated and broken. She looks back to Thorin. He's still alive, bloody and bruised but still alive. With practiced precision she cuts the orc's head off. "Foul beast." she says spitting at the toppled over corpse. Thorin is quiet behind her. "You...you saved me." he says, voice low. She chuckles. "I suppose I did, and now I think perhaps I should find a healer." she says as her knees give out. Thorin is next to her in an instant. Taking her good arm he pulls her up. He places it around his neck. "I'll help you." he says, his blue eyes fixed on her face. She nods, grateful for the assistance. "I owe you a debt." He doesn't owe her anything but the set of his face says that arguing will get her nowhere. She simply nods and leans against the Prince, thankful that he's there._ She shakes her head, that wasn't it all but now isn't the time to contradict the healer. “I do what I must. I would see the line of Durin sit back on the throne. Nothing will stop me.” she said. After a moment she eyed the partially deaf dwarf. “Can I have my clothes back?” she asks, suddenly feeling rather embarassed. Oin hauls himself up before walking to a low set table. He pulls off a few bundles and walks back to her. “ Would you like a hand?” he asks gently, handing her the bundles. She moves gingerly to her feet, wincing at the pull in her side. “Yes.”

It took a bit but eventually she was dressed with Oin's help. “Where's everyone else?” she asks, pulling her coat on. Oin sighs. “Most of them are still asleep. I think Thorin and Bilbo are outside.” she nodded before moving off toward the door. Sure enough, Thorin and Bilbo were outside. And they were arguing. She pushed her hair off her shoulder before stomping over to them. Whatever they were arguing about could wait. She marched up to where they were and cleared her throat. They didn't notice. She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. When she opened them again they were still at it. Bilbo was an impressive shade of red. Thorin's mouth was set in a hard line. This had to stop. They had just put most of their issues to rest, couldn't they be nice to one another? Not only that but if they were destined to be together than now would be the perfect time to set that ball in motion. As the King went to say what would no doubt set the Hobbit off into a tizzy Brynja opened her mouth. “WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP?!!!” she yelled. The silence that followed was deafening, and oddly wonderful. She stares at her two friends. Bilbo was stock still. Mouth hanging open, eyes wide as saucers. Thorin looked equally shocked. The tips of his ears were a lovely shade of red. “Thank you.” she said. “Now, before either one of you decides to yell at, kill, or banish me, I would like to say something if I may?” they both nodded slowly. “Good. You two have just managed to put whatever troubles you had behind you and I am in no mood or shape to deal with anymore arguing, so can we please have peace? You are both so damn stubborn. You argue like an old married couple. I wonder if the saying about the flip side of hate being love is true and if so Mahal have mercy on us all." and with that she turned on her heel. They could think about what she had said or not frankly she didn't care anymore. She moved off to sit on a nearby bench, her ribs whinging. She sat down with a sigh and closed her eyes. “That was impressive.” said a voice off to her left. She looked to see Nori leaning against the side of the house. “And stupid.” she said. “Maybe a little but it looks like whatever you said did the trick.” he motioned back to the King and the Hobbit. She looked back. They were actually talking. And it looked like they were smiling? “Huh.” she said, “good to know the trick to getting the King to pay attention is to yell at him.” she laughed slightly. Nori chuckled as well. “I wouldn't go telling everyone that. He might kill you.” he said. She laughed harder at that before wincing. “He could try. In the end if I do die then I get what I want anyway.” she said, instantly sobering. That wasn't what she had wanted to say at all. Nori's eyes hardened. “You really want to die that badly?” he asked, the humor from early was gone. “Not really.” she said, pausing slightly, “I just miss my old life. I miss the way things were.” she said dropping her chin to her chest. She really did miss her life, this was nothing like she expected. Which in a way was worse but still so much better. She took a deep breath. Pulling her chin back up she looked up at Nori. “Does it get easier?” he asked. “What...” she was confused. “The lose of a One, does it get easier?” She wasn't sure what answer to give him. Roran wasn't real. The memory wasn't real. Hell, she wasn't real. How could she possibly know what it felt like, she'd never even been in love before, which was sad if she thought about it. “Nori, I'm going to be completely honest. I don't know. I feel like half the time what I had with him was just a dream.” That was pretty damn honest. Nori didn't have anything to say back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next...a plan, well sort of.


	3. A Plan...well sort of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short as well but my muse is being a wench and pulling me in several different directions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She has a plan, admittedly it's not a great one but's something.

She spends the days at Beorn talking to the members of the Company. Learning all she can about them. If she's going to betray them all, then she should at least know about their lives. _"_   _If I have to hurt you all then I suppose it's only fair that I know who it is I'm betraying."_ In turn she tells them stories, jokes, she even gets Bofur to laugh so hard he falls over. Ori is a well spring of book knowledge. She picks his brain subtly. She drinks tea with Dori, and helps Nori steal one of Fili's knifes. She spars with Dwalin, they give each other no quarter. It's a good fight. She discusses politics with Balin, the older dwarf smiling at her interest. She talks to Bilbo about plants, Thorin is hovering nearby, eyes on Bilbo. It's endearing to see him so concerned. She speaks with the King about the past. And about the future. He seems confident, although every so often his attention strays to the Halfling, eyes going slightly soft at the sight of their shorter companion.  _"Oh you are so screwed, Thorin. You've got it bad."_ she thinks to herself as once again he trails off on what he was saying to watch Bilbo. 

Everyone is in high spirits. Fili and Kili are embroiled in a wrestling match, Dwalin, Gloin, Balin and Bifur are shouting out advice to the young princes. Bofur tells Bilbo a joke that has him turning bright red before he bursts out laughing. Dori is braiding Nori's hair as Ori writes furiously in his journal. Oin and Bombur are running through supply checks. Thorin is nowhere in sight. She stands back from everyone else, despite being part of the Company she finds that she far enjoys watching them. It's entertaining. Unbidden another memory floods through her.

_His face is laughing. And she wants nothing more than to punch him. “Dammit, you don't give up do you?” she asks. “Oh come one, it's not like it's a real fight. Just a little sparring.” he says, hefting his axe higher on his shoulder. “Fine.” she says. They move into the ring. She draws her sword. If it's a fight he wants he's gonna get one._

_His eyes are wide. She smirks down at him. “I tried to tell you.” she says. Her heart is racing. He'd almost had her a few times but she wasn't about to let him know that. She offers him a hand. He grasps it tight. The sudden jolt of skin on skin leaves her short of breath. Oh no. Not him. Anyone but Roran._

She snaps out of it. Eyes watering. _“Damn you Mahal. Stop. My heart can't take much more.”_   She feels someone step next to her. “You seem sad.” a voice rumbles. She turns her head. Thorin is standing beside her watching his nephews with a small smile. “Getting lost in memories best left forgotten.” she tells him. He nods. His eyes roam over the Company before landing on the Hobbit. “Our burglar has come quite a long way.” he says, changing the topic, saving her from the pain. She smiles a small smile. “He has. But he still has a long way to go. We might make a warrior of him yet.” she's not sure but she thinks the King pales slightly at that. “I wonder if you might do me a small favor?” he asks quietly, his face is tense. _“Kings don't ask favors lightly.”_ she thinks before nodding. “Of course. Anything.” she says. “I wonder if you might keep an eye on our Burglar? He seems to always find trouble and we cannot always be around to help. He needs training.” she nods. “I'll train Bilbo. Nothing to strenous, but enough that he will be able to defend himself if need be.” she says, eyeing the laughing Hobbit. Thorin nods his head, face relaxing slightly. “Thank you. I don't want to see any harm come to him.” he says before walking back to sit beside Dwalin. _“Harm huh? It's going to be slightly difficult to keep him safe when you lose your mind to a pretty rock.”_ she thinks, a plan suddenly forming in her mind. She needs to talk to the wizard.

As the night goes on small groups of the dwarfs start to disperse. Each of them looking exhausted but happy. Soon enough it's just her and the Wizard. “Are you not tired?” he asked as she sat down next to him. “No. I have something that I need to talk to you about and I couldn't very well do it with everyone in the room.” he nods. “ We have several things coming up and I'm not sure how to do a few of them.” she says, resting her hands in her lap. The wizard said nothing, just continued to puff on his pipe. “I can deal with pissy elves, a barrel ride, a back water town and a dragon. What I'm not looking forward to is the stone, the battle and the ring. I will not let Bilbo take the fall this time. He doesn't deserve such harsh treatment and there's no way in hell that I'm going to watch Thorin screw up his future....This time I'll be the one taking the stone.” she says, staring at the wizard. Gandalf looks surprised. “You'd steal from your King?” he eyebrows disappearing under his hair. “He's not my King, remember? And if stealing from him is what it takes to save the line of Durin then so be it.” she pauses, her next thought makes her heart hurt, “While I'm stealing from Kings I might as well burgle the Burglar, after the Battle of course. Once all of that is said and done I'll need a ride to Mordor. If I'm dropping that stupid piece of metal into Mount Doom I might as well chuck the Arkenstone in there as well.” Gandalf's face is, well priceless really. “That is suicide. You know that right?” his voice is a low rumble, like distant thunder. “You and I both know that this isn't my world. If I die here then I die here, but I refuse to let this vicious cycle continue. I know that Thorin will banish me, I expect it. I also know that I'll lose the respect of Bilbo and the Company but I would rather see my friends alive and together. For that I'm willing to risk, well everything.”

The next morning after breakfast she approached Bilbo. “Take up your sword Bilbo. I think perhaps it's time you learned how to fight properly.” he looked at Sting. “I promise you won't be hurt. You'll be sore but this is all necessary, trust me.” she finished. The Hobbit sighs “Dwarfs..” he mutters under his breath, she can't help but to chuckle at that. He strapped Sting around his waist and followed her outside.

He had held up well, considering. He was laying on the ground, drenched in sweat, but unhurt. She sat down next to him. “You did well.” she said, looking down at him. “That was exhausting. And I'm fairly certain that I pulled something.” he whines, stretching out his left hand. “When we go in, talk to Oin, I'm sure he has something. You're going to have to learn to deal with pulled muscles though, they come with the territory.” she said. After a moment the Hobbit sat up. “I think I'll go find Oin. Will you be ok out here?” he asked. “I'll be fine Bilbo. While you're at it have Dori stitch up your jacket, it's looking a little worse for wear.” she murmured. He looked down at his coat, touching the frayed fabric at his wrist. He nodded at her before standing up. He had only walked a few feet before turning to look at her, a questioning look on his face. “Why are you training me?” he asked. She leaned back onto her elbows. “Because you are a member of Thorin Oakenshield's Company and a friend. I won't see you unable to defend yourself should the need arise....Also Thorin thought it might be a good idea.” she said. Bilbo's face cracked into a smile. “He did?” a slight blush colored his cheeks. She nodded. The Hobbit bounced on his feet before turning and with a little wave he headed back to the house. She reclined on the ground, closing her eyes and letting the sun shine on her face. “It's really nice here.” she mused. Her thoughts were interrupted by almost identical shadows blotting out the sun. She cracked her eyes open. _“Oh no...”_ she thought, _“ not them.”_ Fili and Kili grinned down at her. “Hello Brynja.” they said in unison. “We saw you training Bilbo...” Fili started. “And we wondered if you could maybe show us that spin you did?” Kili finished. “I'll show you, if you promise to leave me in peace after?” she asks, fixing them both with a hard stare. They both nod.  She knows that if she didn't they would either hound her til she did or Kili would hit her with the puppy dog eyes and she didn't think she could say no to those eyes. They practically vibrated with excitement.

The days passed quickly.  At night she found herself talking to the wizard, making plans for the upcoming events. “I know that the Eagles aren't pack mules Gandalf, but don't you think that just maybe this one time they could take me to Mordor. I mean if I manage to survive they'll have to bring me back, and I know it's a perilous journey but it would make the trip there a lot easier.” the wizard puffed out a smoke ring. “I will see what I can do.” he said. That would have to be good enough. “Now what about Mirkwood and Thranduil?” he asked. “I think I'm going to take a page out of Bilbo's book. I'll go invisible and sneak into the palace. Once there I'll see if I can't find everyone's weapons and get them ready for the barrel ride. I know it's going to take a lot of careful planning on my part and I honestly feel like I should bring Bilbo in on this plan.” she said with a sigh, she hoped he was up for it. The wizard nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I'm fairly certain that between the two of you things will move faster.” She nodded, that was Plan One. “What about the battle? What plans do you have for that?” he asked. She thought for a moment, an idea forming. “I plan on beating them to Raven Hill. Then I'm going to ambush Azog and the rest. They won't be able to hit what they can't see. I know by all rights that Thorin should be the one to kill The Defiler but I feel like if he tries he'll just die again. So will the boys.” Gandalf nodded. “Well it seems like you have everything planned out.” he said, a sad look in his eyes. “Don't look at me like that. I know what I need to do. What I have to do. It's about time that this story had a happy ending, don't you think?” The look didn't leave his face. “Gandalf, I know that my plan isn't exactly a good one but it's the best I have. This will work.” she said, reaching over to pat his withered hand. He didn't look entirely convinced. If she were being honest, she wasn't convinced either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now on to Mirkwood...


	4. A gentle push...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to stave off the coming effect of the Arkenstone, Brynja decides to push the two stubborn arses together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I'm taking liberties with storyline and timeline.

She managed to find the Hobbit alone, pipe in hand, the next day. “I do not have any such thing!” he said when she confronted him about the ring. “Liar.” she said crossing her arms over her chest. “I know you do. I don't care that you have it because it's going to come in handy for what we have to do next.” he put his pipe down on the bench. “Mirkwood is going to be difficult. We're going to get seperated and then we're going to be attacked by Elves. We need to work together to save our friends. You have your ring and I have my necklace, the two of us should be able to work it out and get out of there with little trouble.” his jaw was slack. “How do you know any of this?” his voice was quiet. “Call it a gift. I just know that we have to work as a team and I need you to trust me.” he thought about it a moment before squaring his shoulders. “Alright. Although won't this be harder if we can't see each other?” she hadn't thought of that. “Put your ring on, let's see if we can see each other.” Being invisible was strange. Everything was washed out and faded. Sounds didn't travel right. It was like being under water. She saw Bilbo. He looked surprised to see her. Nodding at him she thought about being visible, the world coming back into stark relief. “I don't think I'll being doing that too often.” she muttered. Bilbo nodded as he reappeared. “It's unpleasant but after a bit you get used to it. Well mostly.” he says, tucking his ring back into his pocket. She makes a point of seeing which pocket it's in. For future reference. Gandalf left them at the entrance to Mirkwood. He stopped before Brynja and Bilbo. “Are you two prepared?” his voice was low, only they could hear him. They nodded in unison. “We've discussed it and we think have a plan. All that's left is to implement it and hope for the best.” she said. The wizard nodded and then he was off. She cast a sidelong look at Bilbo. “Ready?” she asked. He swallowed, gripped the hilt of Sting and with a last look at Gandalf's retreating back he nodded. “Good. Now let's go mess with some Elves.”

Mirkwood was hell. It was dark and creepy. The entire forest felt like it was staring at you. Which to be fair it was. She would never look at tree's the same way ever again. Add to the fact that there were giant spiders lurking about and this place was straight nightmare fuel. “I will never ever walk in the woods ever again.” she muttered to herself, jumping slightly at the sound of something cracking in the distance. The entire Company was jumpy. She wished the Elves would hurry up and attack, she wanted out of here. It took a while but finally they showed up. She nodded at Bilbo. It was time. He pulled his ring on blipping out of sight. She followed shortly after. The urge to fight the Elves off and defend her friends was a hard one to restrain but she managed. With very little effort they managed to follow the Elven guards. Bilbo's eyes went wide at the sight of the palace. He'd had the same look when they'd arrived in Rivendell. She poked him in the side. They needed to stay focused. He snapped his attention back to their friends. Moving as quietly as possible they snuck right through the door.

Thranduil was a piece of work. Pretentious, sneering, and with an air of superiority that she wanted to knock out of him. With a hammer. She watched from her crouched position in an alcove as he flounced around, treating her friends like they were dirt. She could feel her blood start to boil,. She had to clench her fist to stop the surging feeling of anger. _“That's new.”_ she thought. She'd never felt such a swell of anger at anyone before. The guards ushered her friends out and to the dungeons. She glanced down to her left. Bilbo was crouched next to her, a look of anger on his face as well. She touched his shoulder and leaned into his side. “Follow them. When you get a chance, let them know that they aren't alone. That we will get them out of here. I'm going to stay here and watch. I will find you later.” she whispered into his ear. He nodded and with a last scowl at the Elven King he silently padded away. She huddled up into the alcove and surveyed her surroundings. Her eyes were drawn to the King on his throne. He affected an indifferent air. Watching as his guards and servants milled around. If she were to be honest she'd always found the Elves to be interesting, not as interesting as dwarrows but still not bad. Well the Rivendell elves at least, Mirkwood was different. The pollution of the forest had clearly sank into Thranduil's mind. The only thing that seemed to snap him out of it was his son, Legolas. Her mind drifted back to when the Company had been captured. She'd managed to catch the conversation between Gloin and the Prince. She'd almost laughed out loud when he'd insulted Gimli. To think that they would be friends...that stopped her short. If her plan worked out the two would never be friends. They would likely never meet one another. A lot of things wouldn't happen. Frodo would never have to carry the burden of the Ring. Samwise wouldn't know how brave he could truly be. Pippin and Merry wouldn't become who they were destined to be. Her friends would likely stay alive and well in Erebor for the rest of their lives. So much would change. Without Sauron and the One Ring, life would be good. She wondered if maybe she should carry out her plan? “ _Wouldn't it be easier to just help Bilbo lose the Ring? Is it worth losing my life over?”_ she thought back to Bilbo and Thorin. They were in a better place now. They actually talked to one another. The King's eyes were constantly seeking out the Hobbit. He would smile at him when he thought no one was looking. Bilbo seemed to always know where the King was. He would touch the King's arm when they talked. He would hover near wherever the King was. Not annoyingly so but she was sure that she wasn't the only one that noticed. They cared for one another, and for that she would risk her life. For happiness in a world that seemed bereft of it. For love she would risk all.

It had taken a while but they eventually managed to get the layout of the place down. The guard rotations were easy to predict and within a week they knew that the barrel plan was the best source of escape. It was all just a matter of waiting for the right time. She had found the weapons and clothes easily enough, stashing them in stolen bags in an empty part of the wine cellar. Unfortunately retrieving Orcrist was impossible. Damn Thranduil for taking it. “Well that could have gone better.” she whispered to Bilbo. It been almost a month, they needed to move. They were standing off to the side of the dungeon watching as the guards returned Thorin to his cell. “I think it's time we implement the plan. I'll wrangle up their weapons and clothes. You see if you can't find the keys. I'll meet you by the barrels as soon as I can.” with a jaunty wave Bilbo was off. She waited a few moments before sprinting off. There was just one thing she had to do before they left, she knew that in The Silmarillion it was mentioned that Elves had a love of mithril. They loved the way that it shone. She hit the armory first. Moving from end to end she soon found what she needed. Three mithril shirts. She snatched them up. Granted they weren't armor but they should work. She managed to just barely get the sacks of gear, mithril included, into the barrel before Bilbo showed up, Company in tow. Now came the fun part.

Rivers were terrible. She dragged the Hobbit back up from under the current once again. What had possessed him to launch the barrels without them in it she would never know. A barrel drifted past them, seeing her chance she grabbed a hold of the brim. “Get in the barrel!” she yelled over the roar of the water. “What?” he spluttered back. She jerked him up by the back of his shirt and tossed him into the barrel. “Hold on tight. This is gonna get really bumpy.” she managed to holler before she slammed face first into an overhanging boulder.

“Brynja.....”

“Wake up lass....”

“I think she's coming around.”

“Who hit me?” she managed to say. Her voice rough. “You were hit by a rock.” came a small voice, Bilbo. She struggled to sit up, her eyes landed on his small form. He was cradling the packs with the gear in them. “A rock. Great. I'm the only dwarf to ever be knocked out by a rock.” she muttered. She looked up at the faces of the Company. They had a look of worry on all their faces, why? “You were bleeding pretty badly when we got to shore. We weren't sure how bad it was til Oin got a look at it. He says you'll be fine but you're going to have a headache for awhile.” came the reply from Nori. “I already do.” she said. Dwalin extended a hand to her and pulled her up. They all stepped back. “Lucky for you that Bilbo had such a tight grip on you.” Thorin said, staring at the shaking Hobbit, a look of concern on his face. She smiled at her smaller friend. “Thank you for that. Drowning isn't exactly one of the ways I want to go out.” she said, rolling her shoulder. She must have been bashed into quite a few rocks if the knots in her arms were any indication. “Where are we?” she said, squinting at the horizon. “Not too far from Lake-Town.” said Gloin. “Oh good.” turning to Bilbo she motioned him forward. He brought one of the bags with him. “Before we left we managed to find weapons and clothes for you all.” she opened up the bag and handed it to Gloin. “If you could disperse these, I think you'll find everyone's things are accounted for.” She turned to look at Thorin. “Might I have a word?” she asked. His eyebrow arched. He walked toward her, stopping a few feet away. “I couldn't get Orcrist back. The poncy King had it on him at all times. I'm sorry.” He nodded before stepping back to stand beside the Hobbit. He placed a gentle hand on the smaller man's shoulder. Bilbo looked up at him with a smile. They really did look good together. “We should get a move on, time is running out.” said Gloin. Everyone agreed. They didn't make it too far before Bard showed up.

The Master of Lake-town was a mealy mouthed scum sucking gold hungry slug. When she'd told Dwalin that he'd about laughed himself off the bench he was sitting on. They'd been given a house and food, which while nice didn't set her at ease. She'd shucked her bloodied and wet clothes for something warmer. After a few moments of trying to fix her hair she threw up her hands and went to find the Hobbit. She'd been giving it a lot of thought since they'd arrived in Lake-town and she figured that it was now or never. She needed to give the King and the Hobbit the final push. If he knew that the Hobbit felt the same way then perhaps it would curb his obsession with that stupid rock. She found Bilbo huddled under layers of blankets, sitting in the window seat. The poor burglar was ill. She sat down next to him and wrapped a friendly arm around his shoulders. “Here. I can guarantee that dwarfs are warmer.” she said, smiling at him. He leaned into her. “Thank you.” his voice was muffled by the blankets. She nodded her head. “That's what friends are for.” she knew she was tempting fate, arm wound around the burglar but she figured if she could give the King a good kick in the pants he might finally admit how he felt. She didn't have to wait long. She watched as he walked around the corner and saw the small surge of jealously that lit his eyes. Forcing her face to remain neutral she looked at him. “Our hobbit is sick, his teeth haven't quit chattering since we got here. He needs someone to warm him up.” she said, hoping that he didn't catch on. His eyes narrowed, he knew what she was up to. With a small smile she removed her arm from around Bilbo's shoulders. “Bilbo, before I leave you in the King's capable hands I think perhaps I should tell you something.” the Hobbit looked at her with bleary eyes. She settled one hand on his shoulder and leaned down so that only he could hear her. “You need to tell him how you feel. Hold nothing back. He is going to need you by his side in the coming days.” she whispered. She pulled back and looked at him. His face was pale but he nodded. “Good.” she said before dropping her hand off his shoulder. She turned to Thorin next. “He's all yours. And I do mean all.” she said, chuckling at the look on the King's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up a dragon, a battle and the end of the cycle.


	5. For Erebor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brynja does what is necessary....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost done...it took a bit to get all of this out. Also I was out of town for almost 2 weeks without internet access. So enjoy.

After a night of drinking and feasting she decided that she needed to level the playing field. She'd made sure that she hadn't drank herself into a stupor. She couldn't say the same for the rest of them. Dwarfs are rowdy most of the time. But drunk Dwarfs were even worse. The poor Hobbit looked absolutely mortified the last time she had seen him. Of course the last time she had seen him he'd had a King wrapped around him, whispering what were no doubt truly dirty things in his ear so no telling what he was doing now. Shaking her head at them she'd decided that it was good time to take a moment and think about her next move. She'd planned out everything else except this part. Killing a dragon. How the hell was she supposed to do that? She glanced down to their weapons. They weren't going to work. The wizard hadn't shown back up yet so he was pretty well out of the equation. What to do, what to do? Then it came to her. They were in Lake-town. All she needed to do was steal Bard's arrow.  _"I'm an idiot."_  she thought to herself before slapping her own forehead. With a sigh she pushed off from the wall she'd been leaning against. She needed to get a move on. Setting her cup on the table she nodded to Dwalin. "I'm gonna go get some air." she told him quietly. He nodded back at her. "Careful out there, never know who might be lurking around." She clapped him on the shoulder. "I'll be fine. I'll be back later." And with that she adjusted her borrowed cloak and stepped outside. The air was cool, the smell of fish and soaked wood permeated the air. She flicked the hood of her cloak over her head. She needed to find Bard's house. She wandered around the small city, ignoring the looks of it's people. She knew she was an odd sight but she couldn't find it in herself to give a damn. If everything worked out then these people would never feel the wrath of the dragon. It took the better part of an hour but she finally managed to find the Bowman's house. _“Now to sneak into his house and steal the arrow out from under his nose._ ” she thought to herself. Checking to make sure no one saw her she thought about being invisible, after a few seconds the world went a little hazy. "I really, really don't like this whole invisible thing."she thought to herself ignoring the sudden pain in her forehead she crept up to the door. She pressed her ear against the wood. It would appear that no one was home. As quickly as possible she entered the house. Once inside she pulled her hood off. "Now where in the bloody hell would you keep a black arrow?" she mused looking around the dwelling. Careful not to disturb anything she crept around the house, checking under beds, in closets and in chests. No luck. She stood silently in the kitchen wondering where to look next."It has to be here. There's no way that he got rid of it. Come on black arrow, I really need you right about now." with a sigh she leaned against the wall and looked out the window. Aside from the fishy, wood smell Lake-town wasn't a bad place. Not that she had any desire to live on the water but she could see why the people had settled here. Although they could have picked something a little sturdier than wood to use as building blocks. She stood there staring at the hanging spice rack willing it to give her the answer. The moon was cutting through the windows, casting interesting shadows across the rough hewn floor when she saw it. A glimpse of tan cloth wrapped around something. She pushed forward and stood underneath the spice rack. It had to be the arrow. With great effort she stood on her tiptoes and stretched her fingers out, brushing against the fabric. How the hell was she supposed to get it down when she was this short? Her eye flitted around the room before landing on a chair. _“Aha.”_ she thought to herself. She walked quickly to the chair and pulled it over to the rack. She placed one booted foot on the chair and heaved herself up. Standing on the rails of the chair she snatched the arrow and cloth down. She held it carefully and pulled the cloth back. It was smaller than she had imagined but then again it was most definitely a black arrow. The arrow head itself looked absolutely vicious. Of course it would look that way, the damn thing was used to kill dragons. She flicked the fabric back around the arrow. She needed to get back to her friends. She dragged the chair back to it's place and with a last look around the house she slipped out the door.

The smell of dragon was something she would never be able to get out of her nose. It was absolutely putrid. She shook her head and peered around the corner down to where the burglar was doing his job. She plucked at the arrow head through her coat. She would need to get down there and in place with no one seeing her. Easier said then done what with their King pacing like a caged tiger, she knew that he was feeling the pull of the gold already. _“Stupid dragon sickness.”_ she thought. She looked at the faces of her assembled friends. Worry etching their faces. They really did care for Bilbo. Good. That would make this whole thing a lot easier. With a sigh, she walked to the edge of the stairs. “What are you doing?” Balin asked, his voice hoarse. “I'm going to help. He can't do this alone.” she said before descending the stairs. The murmur of voices that followed her disagreed but she didn't care. As soon as she was out of earshot she went invisible. As quietly as she could she ran. She needed to catch the burglar before he got held up by Thorin. She almost ran headlong into the Hobbit as he went barreling through an archway. She caught him in her arms, going visible. “Brynja, we need to move. He is awake and angry.” he voice held a note of fear. “Good. We can use that to our advantage. I need you to help me.” he shook his head. “There is a very angry, fire breathing dragon bearing down on us and you want me to help you? What could you possibly need my help with?” he questioned. “Simple...I'm going to take this black arrow I stole and jam the stupid thing into his chest. But I need to be up high enough that it actually works.” his jaw dropped open. “You...what?” his eyes were wide as saucers. She grinned at him, taking the arrow out of her coat and gripping the shaft in her hand. “Take out your ring and follow me. We have a dragon to kill.” and with that she went invisible. As soon as she saw Bilbo she nodded and they went running. They needed a high spot. Somewhere that she could launch herself off of. _“This better work or I'm going to feel it later.”_ she thought. Eventually they came to a high walkway. It would have to work. By her estimate she could fling herself into the dragons chest and hit her mark. “Call him here.” she said her voice warbling. Bilbo nodded and pulled his ring off. “Oh Smaug the Great and Terrible, I have one small thing to say to you if you would but grace me with your presence?” Dragons were such vain creatures. She had to stifle the laugh that threatened to spill out. It only took a few seconds before the dragon was rising up in front of them. She could feel her eyes widen. He was big. Well big compared to her. She ran her eyes along his scales before she saw the bare spot. “And what would you have to say to me thief?” his voice boomed out. She watched Bilbo closely. “Well I just thought that I should say goodbye.” he was smiling. “Goodbye?” the dragon was confused. “Yea goodbye. As in see you later, you pompous, slithering slug.” Brynja roared as she ran forward, clutching the arrow tightly. With all the power she had she jumped into the dragons chest. With a thud she crashed into him. The ridges in his scales caught at her clothing, her hair. She needed to slow down or she was going to go sliding right off him. She brought the arrow up. It screeched across his scales, screaming at the contact. She dug the arrow into the scales slowing her fall. The bare spot came into sight. With all the strength she could muster she shoved the arrow home. There was a bit of resistance but then the skin gave way with a squelching sound. Blood gushing out onto her hands, drenching her coat and hair. She pushed until just the fletching was sticking out. The sound of the dragon's roar was explosive. It rattled her to her very bones. She let go of the arrow and slid the rest of the way down to the ground, the gold underneath her giving way as she hit it. She rolled into the fall and stood up quickly. She looked behind her as the dragon hit the ground, sending the gold flying. With a tremendous thud his head landed scant feet from her, his mouth was open, lolling back and forth on the treasure trove. He was dead. She looked up to the walkway. Bilbo was staring down at her with a smile plastered across his face. “YOU DID IT!” he shouted down to her. She waved at him before sinking to her knees. The adrenaline was wearing off. She could hear the clattering of the other dwarfs as they came running. “BILBO, BRYNJA!” the shouts of the Company echoed in the now silent halls. She managed to roll off her knees and sat down on the gold, she looked up to the see the Company descending on their burglar. The King was hugging him tightly. The rest of the Company was staring down at her and the dragon. A combination of shock and awe plainly visible on their faces. “Erebor is ours, lads. Now would someone get down here and help me up.” she called to them. That shook them out of their stupor. Before she knew it several sets of hands were on her shoulders, hauling her back to her feet. “How...how did you..?” Ori's voice was laden with surprise. With a smile she beckoned him to come with her. The scribe and the others followed her to the side of the dragon. “Black arrow.” she said before pointing to the barb sticking out of the dragon's chest. The next thing she knew she was being hoisted up onto shoulders, chants of her name were thundering in her ears. Tonight there would be a feast.

She watched silently as Thorin demanded that they spread out. “ _So it begins...”_ she thought. She made every effort to watch Bilbo. He wasn't going to find the stone before she did. At every opportunity she made sure to manipulate the situation so that Thorin and the Hobbit were together. Being near Bilbo seemed to help him with his obsession. He would fixate on Bilbo, forgetting about the stone. He would show him around the mountain, they'd spend hours together. She had even caught them in a dark archway, heads pressed together, whispering quietly to each other. It had taken a few days but eventually she found the accursed thing. It had been kicked into a corner by the dragon. The stone winked at her as she picked it up. “After this is over, you're going straight into Mount Doom.” she whispered to the stone. She stashed it in the inner pocket of her coat and after a while of pretending to look for it she moved on to another section. That night while everyone sat around talking she approached Bilbo. “I have a favor to ask of you Bilbo.” she said, heart heavy. He stared up at her, brushing his hair back from his face. “Hmm?” She steeled herself. This would be the last time she saw the Hobbit, before she betrayed him. “In my pack, there are three mithril shirts. I want you to give them to the King and his heirs. Make sure they wear them. Broker no arguments from them. They must keep them on at all times.” he looked confused at that but nodded. With that she turned and walked away, glancing at the faces of her friends, her brothers. There was a war coming.

The deal was easy enough to barter. Thranduil seemed surprised but accepted the terms. Gandalf stood off to the side, staring at Brynja. After the meeting ended she stepped outside of the tent. She walked to a nearby stump and fell onto it. She scrubbed her hands down her face, she was crying. With a pathetic laugh she wiped them away as best she could. “What you did was very brave.” came the wizard's voice. “Brave yes but I have betrayed my friends. I have to go back and face them.” she knew what would come next. Gandalf looked sad. “It was the only way.” She knew that. She'd known that from the beginning. What she hadn't counted on was it hurting so much. She felt the wizard's arm wrap around her armored shoulders. She cried. For her friends, for the battle that was coming, and for herself. After a few moments she shook herself up. She needed to get back to her friends. They would miss her if she was gone for too long. She stood on aching feet and looked down at the Wizard. “I should get back before I'm missed.” he nodded at her before clambering to his own feet. With a sigh she steeled herself for what she was about to do, and with a nod she turned and walked back toward the mountain.

Thorin's hands were tight around her neck. She didn't even try to stop him. The shouts of the others were muted. She could barely see Bilbo, yanking on the King's shoulders, trying to get him to let her go. She could feel herself getting faint. “You traitor.” he growled. Without any warning he released her. She stumbled. “I did what was necessary. You can hate me. You can banish me but know that I did what was best for Erebor, her king and the Company.” she rasped. “Get out, and never come back.” his voice was cold. She nodded. Not much she could do about it now. The sickness had taken hold. But at least this time Bilbo wasn't the one suffering for it. Sparing a glance at her friends she smiled at them. “For Erebor.” she said before grasping the chain at the top of the wall and swinging down. She hit the ground as tears slipped from her eyes. Walking toward the assembled elves, she looked off to Raven Hill. _“You will survive this.”_ she thought, _“All of you. I will not fail.”_

 

The battle raged on. She could hear it all the way up here. The clash of steel, the shouts of the wounded. She was battered and dirty but she had a job to do. She saw the King and his nephews ascending the rocky hill. It was time to move. She had to be fast.

 

If she had been a wiser dwarf, this wouldn't have happened. The fight with Azog and his cronies had been exhausting. Fili and Kili were wounded but still alive. The mithril had done it's job. Bilbo was knocked out. She'd tucked him into a safe spot behind a pile of bodies before stealing his ring. It was stashed in an inner pocket of her leggings. Held tight to her skin. She turned her attention back to the task at hand, she'd given up on being invisible when it was down to just her and Azog. The Pale Orc had embedded his sword arm into her right shoulder, somehow finding the one chink in her armor.  _“No matter.”_ she thought. She pushed forward, her sword steadily driving deeper in the Pale Orc's heart. The scrape of his sword against her armor was a horrific screech. It sounded in her ear like nails on a chalk board.  _“Just a little further.”_ she promised herself. She could feel the instant her sword pushed through to the other side of the orc. His pale eyes were wide. “Die.” she growled. With a gurgle the orc stumbled backwards, taking his sword with him and pulling off of hers. Pain ripped through her, white hot and scorching. The sound of the orc falling to the ice was intensely rewarding. With heavy steps, she walked towards the still twitching body. She stared down at the orc. He was pulling in gasping breaths, blood gurgling out of his mouth. With what little strength she had left she raised her left arm and brought her sword over her head. “ _ Baruk Khazâd _ !” she bellowed, slamming her sword into the vile creature's throat. Once, twice, three times. His head went rolling, spinning like a child's top before falling into a crack in the ice. With a sneer she spit on his corpse, noticing absently that it was more blood then saliva. It was done. The Defiler was dead. Without any warning she fell to her knees, left arm reaching up to grasp her battered right arm.“BRYNJA!” four voices called out. With great effort she managed to turn to face the voices. Thorin, Dwalin and both of the boys were running toward her.  _“I did it. I saved the line of Durin.”_ she could feel the smile cracking over her face. “Thorin, you should go to Bilbo. He's over there.” she nodded her head toward the stack of bodies. With a nod he was off. Dwalin placed his hand over hers trying to staunch the blood flow. “You are out of your mind.” his voice was raspy. “Maybe. But at least everyone is still alive.” she said as the world tipped away for a second, almost taking her with it. “Easy there.” a steadying hand rested against her back, “We need to get you to a healer. Boys help.” She could feel them lifting her up, she turned her head to see Thorin carrying a very awake Bilbo. His face close to the Hobbit's. Whatever he had said had Bilbo placing his hand against the King's cheek. She passed out with a smile on her face. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up...dealing with the One Ring.


	6. Home...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The One Ring is dealt with and all the loose ends are tied up. This is the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brynja does something stupid. But it's for the greater good.

“You've done well.” a deep voice rumbled. “Mahal...” a quiet chuckle sounds to her right. “Yes, you are almost done Brynja. Just a little further.” she feels a warm hand on her forehead. She opens her eyes. The god is sitting on a chair beside her bed. “Are they safe?” she asks. “All are alive and well.” he replies, a look of sudden joy crosses his face. “You are very brave and very stubborn. The wounds you have received would have killed lesser dwarrows.” she can't help but laugh, instantly regretting it as it sets her body to ache. “I'm not a dwarrow.” she says, closing her eyes. “Oh but you are, my dear. You have saved a King, his heirs and his kingdom. I'd say that you are a very mighty dwarrow indeed.” his voice is getting farther away. “Heal Brynja, rest your body.” and with that he's gone.

The next time she wakes, it's been days. And someone is crying. No one should be crying over her. She's still alive, somehow. It takes effort but she manages to open her eyes. “Bilbo...why are you crying?” he's sitting in the chair by her bed. His face is streaked with tears, eyes red rimmed. “What's wrong?” she can't help the trace of panic that laces her voice. “You almost died.” he whispers. “I'm still here. I'm not done quite yet.” she says, slowly adjusting herself into a sitting position. Everything hurts. “Dwalin and the boys carried you back to the mountain. You were so pale. There was so much blood.” his eyes are haunted. “Bilbo, I'm fine now. A few more scars and bruises but I'm fine.” she tries to reassure him. “NO YOU AREN'T!” he shouts. She can feel her jaw drop. She's never been on the receiving end of his anger before. It would be comical if it weren't absolutely heartbreaking and a little terrifying. “You nearly died because of some stupid rock and a grudge that should have been let go of a long time ago. The entire Company is wracked with guilt. They knew what the stone could do to Thorin, and yet they couldn't stop it. I couldn't stop it. Thorin hasn't talked in days, he just sits there. The rest of the company is either too drunk or too sad to function. You paid a price that no one asked you to pay. So no you aren't alright. None of this is alright.” he slumps back into the chair. “Bilbo, you know that you have no reason to feel guilty. None of you do. I did what I did for you. All of you. If I didn't then the consequences could have been so much worse.” For the first time since she'd met the Hobbit he looks absolutely depleted. The circles under his eyes are dark, his hands shake slightly. This is all wrong. She has to fix this. “Help me up.” she says. His head snaps up. “Help me out of this bed Bilbo Baggins or so help me you will regret it.” That gets him moving.

With great effort and a lot of cursing she's dressed in a tunic and leggings. Bilbo flits around her like a hummingbird, never straying far, adjusting ties and helping her struggle into her boots. “Alright, now we're going to go find our friends and I'm going to shout at them til I'm blue in the face.” Bilbo's face scrunches at that. “What?” she asks, narrowing her eyes. “I don't know if shouting at them is going to do any good. They're wallowing, they think you're as good as dead.” Well that's wonderful. She shakes her head. “Ok so no shouting, I'm not really up to it anyway. Maybe seeing me alive will snap them out of it.” he doesn't look too sure but he doesn't say anything. They take their time getting to the kitchens. Stopping for her to rest. Eventually they're standing in front of the door. “Go inside and don't say anything to them. I'll be along in a minute.” he helps her to lean against the wall out of sight before slipping through the door. “Idiots.” she says, a fond grin springing to her face. It warmed her heart to know that they cared that much about her. She pushed off the wall gently. This was going to be interesting.

She hobbled to the door and opened it. The creaking of the door has everyone turning their heads. She leaned against the door jam and levels them all with a hard look. “B-b-rynja?” came a small voice. It was Ori. His face flushed with drink. “Hello Ori.” she says, giving the scribe a smile. At the sound of her voice the Company was up and on it's collective feet. She looked at the faces of her friends. Most of them were tear stained. Others were ruddy with alcohol. Some were both. She searched the faces til she found Thorin's. The King looked stricken. His face was pale, eyes bloodshot, hair in disarray. He looked like hell. With a sigh, she heaved herself off the door jam and walked slowly past the Company, patting them on the shoulder and smiling as she went, to stand in front of him. Bilbo was beside the King, holding his hand tight. She smiled at that. “Thorin.” she says by way of a greeting. His eyes flick down to her throat, to the still healing bruises. “Don't worry about it.” she tells him. He looks back to her face. Whatever he sees there has his eyes going wide. “I hurt you. I hurt the person who protected my One, who protected me. I almost led my people to ruin and you tell me 'don't worry about it'.” his voice is gravelly. Her eyes flick down to Bilbo's. A pleading look on his face. She knows that look. It's the look of someone who doesn't know how to help the one they love. She knows what she has to do. She slowly brings her left arm up and places her hand on the back of the King's neck. She pulls him forward til his forehead is against hers. “I forgive you.” the air seems to rush out of him and he closes his eyes. “I forgive you Thorin.” The King Under the Mountain crumbled. He pulls her to him in a hug. Arms tight around her. His head is buried in her left shoulder and she can feel the tension ebb. She moves her good arm around the King's shoulders. Gently patting his back. She can sense the others leaving the room. She'll hug them all later but right now Thorin needs her. She silently thanks them for understanding the need for privacy. She starts to hum, it's nonsensical but it seems to help. He takes a few deep breaths before releasing her. He's looking down and his hair is covering his face, he sniffles before looking back up. “You truly forgive me?” he asks. Worry creases his forehead. “Yes Thorin, I forgive you. You weren't yourself. It was the gold.” the stricken look is fading. She flashes him a smile.“There is something you could do for me though?” she asks. “Anything.” he says. Her eyes dart down to Bilbo. “Marry the burglar.” Bilbo chokes on air. “He can't..can he?” he asks, looking at the King with hope in his eyes. She chuckles. “He can do whatever he wants. He's King. Besides, I think you two are a good fit for one another.” the King in question looks down at the Hobbit for a minute before raising a brow. Whatever he was going to say to the smaller man is quickly forgotten as the Hobbit launches himself at the King, kissing him for all he's worth. With a fond look she walks back to to the door. They have a lot to 'talk' about after all.

It takes a while but eventually she manages to find each member of the Company. She is hugged, head-butted, and cried on more times then she cares to count. She gets it the worst from Dwalin. “You could have died!” he wails. He's leaning against her heavily. “I'm fine Dwalin. Still very much alive.” she pats his back, trying to soothe the taller dwarf. He just hugs her tighter. “None of us expected you to steal the stone. But we know that it was for the best. You saved all of us.” his breath hitches. _“I'm not done yet.”_ she thinks to herself. Things are calm once again.

She heaves a breath out as she closes the door to her room. Peace treaties are being drawn up, treasure divided, it's all very confusing and she wants no part of it. She walks to the table in the middle of her room. Her armor is there. It has been cleaned as well as the clothes she wore during the battle. She unfolds the leggings and reaches into the hidden pocket. The ring is there. Next to her clothes is a note, it's from the wizard. He wants her to meet him at the hidden door. As soon as possible. It's time for her to finish this. She packs her clothes. Taking care to wear the leggings from the battle. She looks at her armor. “No, best to leave it. It'll only weigh me down and make noise.” she grabs her sword and her coat, setting them next to her pack. Before she can leave though she needs to tell the Company the truth. They need to know who she really is. She writes until her hand aches. The truth spilling out onto the pages. She tells them about her world. How they were just a fairy-tale. She talks about her life and how lonely it was. She talks about Mahal and Yavanna turning her into a dwarf and about the memories. She even tells them about the One Ring and the Fellowship and what will happen if she doesn't destroy it. She ends the letter with the a heartfelt message. “You are all very dear to me. And I know that these will probably be the last words I ever say but I want you all to know that I love each of you as if you were my brothers. And though I am loathe to leave you I must do this. For all of Middle-Earth and for Frodo. P.S Don't follow me. I mean it. If I find out you did I will come back as a ghost and kick all of your collective arses.” she folds the note up and leaves it on the table. Each of their names scrawled across the paper. She grabs up her gear and with one last look at her room, she's out of the door.

The wizard kept true to his word. He's waiting for her at the hidden door. “So, I guess this is it.” she says as they walk down the stairs. “Thank you for pulling me into this crazy world.” he grins. “You have been more then I expected. You handled all of this with such bravery.” he says. “Well I didn't really have much of a choice.” she says, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. He lays his hand on her shoulder. “Did you tell them the truth?” he asks, eyebrows raised. “I wouldn't be standing here now if I had. I left them a letter. Bilbo said he would stop by later. He'll find it then. You should probably be around for that. Back up my insane claims.” she fiddled with the pommel of her sword. “Probably.” he said, chuckling. “Oh, I managed to retrieve this from Thranduil.” he roots around in his satchel for a few seconds before he's handing her a cloth wrapped bundle, inside it, the Arkenstone. She takes it from him and places it in her pack, none too gently. “So...” she doesn't get to finish before the wizard is sweeping her in a giant hug. She hugs him back. After a moment he steps back. “Súlon will take you as far as he can.” and with that the wizard turns and goes back up the steps. “Súlon? Who's Súlon?” The sound of wings is her answer.

She's plastered to the back of the Eagle, Súlon, holding on for dear life. “Oh good lord.” she mutters. Her stomach clenching. The ground is very far away. “How long?” she shouts, hoping the wind doesn't steal her question. “Not much.” comes the hard reply. That's not exactly helpful but it's the best she's going to get. It feels like hours before she sees it. Mordor. Súlon circles before landing gently on the ground. “This is as far I go. I will fly over the land and keep an eye out for you but I cannot enter Mordor yet.” he says as she slips to the ground. “I understand. Thank you for taking me this far.” Súlon nods once before he is flapping his wings, stirring up a lot of dust. She watches the Eagle as he fades from sight. She reaches her hand up to fiddle with the necklace. It's going to take a while to get across and into Mordor, might as well start now. The world goes hazy. “When this is over Mahal you can have this necklace back.” she thinks. It had taken the Fellowship six months to do what she hoped to do in 3 weeks. She would need to be careful. That meant no fires, sleeping the bare minimum and trying to be as quiet as possible. She'd have to stick to the shadows. With a sigh she set her sights on the mountains, this was gonna suck.

Another great perk of being a dwarf was that stone talked. Well not really but she could feel when it was going to do something. This gave her an advantage. She could feel the rock slides before they happened. She could also feel the pulse of the volcano. Every few minutes it would feel like the ground itself was taking a deep breath. She now understood why Mahal and Yavanna had picked a dwarf form for her. There was no way the Hobbits could have done it this way. They would have had to do it like they did in the story. She'd been walking on and off for 4 days now. And it seemed like she never got any closer. She'd managed to avoid the Orcs, the first time she'd seen a patrol she'd froze. They were fairly far away but she still didn't want to risk them knowing she was there. When she'd finally stopped that night to rest she'd taken handfuls of ash and dirt and covered herself in it. She needed to blend in the closer she got and if she smelled like the surroundings they wouldn't notice. She'd even gone so far as to rub it in her beard and hair. “If I make it out of here alive, I'm never going to leave the bathtub.” she thought as she trudged on. Mirkwood had been a nightmare, but this, this was hell on Earth. The air was thick and full of heat. Everything was black and sharp. “I want to go home.” she thought with a slight pang of remorse. This had been an absolutely terribly idea. She had managed to avoid detection for the most part. She'd only had to kill a few orcs. They'd gotten to close to her hiding spots, and she'd come to far to be found out completely. She was resting at the foot of Mount Doom eating a piece of dried meat. There were no Orcs here. Barad-dûr was off to her east, disturbing the skyline. She had to tilt her head back to see all of the Black Tower. “This place is huge!” she thought. “Sauron must be compensating for something.” she smothered the laugh she could feel building. Now wouldn't be a good time to start laughing about how Sauron had a tiny penis. Which since he was a shade right now did he have...nope best not to go down that road. With a shake of her head she looked to the Eye. It was fixed on what she thought was the direction of Minas Tirith. “He's wasting his time. They're not doing anything. He should be focused on a certain dwarf who's about to ruin his day. Evil bastard.” she thought. It was time. The volcano loomed in front of her. With a small sigh, she started to climb. Even with her thick boots on she could feel the jagged rock pressing into her soles. She'd have bruises later. Later...she kept thinking about that. There wasn't any guarantee that she'd make it out of here. Once she dropped the ring and the stone into the abyss the mountain would blow. Mahal had said she was fast but she hadn't really tested how fast. She'd have to time it just right.

She stood on the edge of the walkway, clutching the cloth covered Arkenstone under one arm. The heat from the volcano buffeted into her. Whipping her hair into a frenzy. She closed her eyes. This was for everyone. For Middle-Earth. She reached into the lining of her leggings. Fingers brushing against the hidden pocket. She pulled on the ring. Pinching it between her index finger and thumb. Slowly she brought the ring out. She let it roll into her palm. It looked like a simple golden band. Something so nondescript. No wonder it had slipped into the cracks and been lost til Smeagol had found it. As she stared at her palm a crazy thought occurred to her. “If I'm going to kill Sauron and change the fate of the world I should face the bastard at least once.” she slipped the ring on. The effect was instant. She could feel the Eye staring at her. “Hello Sauron.” she said. She could feel his anger. It slapped at her, trying to push into her mind. She held fast. He wasn't going to tempt her. “I just wanted you to know that you will never rise to power. You will never hurt my friends and this time when you die it will be for good.” she snarled. “Wait...what if I could give you everything you ever wanted? Your father and mother back? Love, power, I could give you anything you want, anything you have ever dreamed of, just don't destroy the ring.” a voice like silk rankled across her mind. Images flash through her mind. A happy family, a love to withstand the test of time. Everything she had ever dreamed of. She shook her head, clearing it of the images. “I want nothing from you. Any promise you make will come with a great consequence. I've been through enough. This ends here.” and with that she ripped the ring off and with everything she had she threw the stone and the ring into the fires. She watched as the ring slowly fell into the lava. It plopped into the molten earth and for a moment it just hovered there. Then as quick as it had hovered it slowly started to descend into the red river of fire. She took that as her cue to start running. It was going to get hot quick. She could feel the heat as the volcano went into meltdown. It pummeled into her. She ran faster. The door was just ahead. With a yell she jumped through the door, rolling off the walkway and slamming into a sheet of rock. “Die you evil sonofabitch.” she said as she let herself drift away on the sheet of rock. 

She feels a gentle hand on her head. It's smoothing her hair back from her face. She keeps her eyes shut, and takes in a breath of cool air. She's not in Mordor anymore. “Where am I?” she asks, her voice rough and raspy. A gentle laugh sounds to her right. “Mahal...I'm dead aren't I?” she asks. Opening her eyes to see the Great Halls sprawled out in front of her. She's standing in front of the god and nothing hurts.“You did it Brynja. You saved everyone and broke the cycle.” he says with a smile. She pulls herself up straighter. “I did it to save my friends. I did it to save the world from ever having to deal with that kind of darkness.” as she speaks she reaches into her tunic, grasping the chain with the stone on it. “I don't think I'll be needing this anymore. It served it's purpose.” she pulls the necklace over her head and holds it out to him. “No, keep it.” he says, pressing her hand closed around the pale blue stone. She nods and pulls her hand back. She turns her head looking around at the sprawling beauty of the Halls. Never in her life had she seen anything quite like this. It was gorgeous here. She turned her eyes back to the dwarrow god. “You never answered my question.” she said. He looked at her, his dark eyes boring into hers. “No. You aren't dead. I brought you here because Yavanna and I wish to reward you.” She hadn't expected that. “Reward? For what?” he smiles at her. “For doing what no one has been able to do. For helping to end an evil the likes of which this world had never seen before and for bringing two of the most stubborn people together.” he finishes. “I don't need a reward. Honestly. I just wanted to help.” she said. “We know that but we want to. We thought we should give you a choice.” the voice of Yavanna reaches her ears. The goddess walks slowly into view. She has a big smile on her face. “You can either return to your friends and live out your life with them, free of the memories of a life you never lived, or you can return to your own time.” Return to her own world...that thought hadn't occurred to her. To go home? She felt her forehead furrow. Home...that word didn't really apply anymore did it? She realized that she knew what she wanted. “I want to go back to Erebor. I want to go back to my friends.” Mahal looked pleased at that. “Anything else you'd like?” he asked. She cocked her head to the side. Her thoughts jumping around before they fixed on one point, Bilbo and Thorin. “You must promise me something. When their time comes you must take Bilbo and Thorin together. They must never be separated. Ever.” the two gods looked confused by the request but they both nodded. “Close your eyes and relax. When next you wake you'll be back at Erebor.” she did as requested. The world went dark.

“Ugh.” the noise escaped her before she could stop it. “I swear this is the last time I'm passing out.” she said to herself. She pushed her hair out of her face. _“Where the hell am I?”_ she thought. Looking around she realized that she was laying on the path that led to the gate of Erebor. “Thanks for dropping me on their doorstep Mahal.” she said, getting to her feet. She looked down at herself. She still felt the same. She looked at her hands. They looked like her hands, still covered in the dirt and ash of Mordor. But somehow she felt off. Less heavy. She dropped her hands to her sides and looked back up to Erebor. In the dying light of the day she could see dwarrows milling about. She needed to get to them. Taking a deep breath of the mountain air she started up the path, she was going home. The closer she got the more nervous she became. They were going to be so angry at her. She had stolen two very important objects from them, gone to Mordor and destroyed those objects without so much as a by their leave. Before her thoughts could turn dark though she was standing in front of the gate. She could feel the eyes of the assembled dwarrows turn to her. She could see their mouths moving but couldn't hear them over the sound of the blood rushing through her head. She couldn't make any of it out but she knew that if she just stayed put the Company would come for her. “You lost lass?” a deep voice asked, cutting through the throbbing. It was a gray haired dwarf that she didn't recognize. “I'm Brynja. I'm looking for the company of Thorin Oakenshield. I need to speak with them.” the dwarf's mouth dropped open. “You...you are Brynja? Someone get the King. You stay right here lass.” Like she had a choice. She was surrounded by dwarfs, mouths open in shock and awe. They moved around her, circling like sharks. Soon enough the crush of them was too much. The air was getting thin. She couldn't breathe. Just when she thought she was going to faint she heard them. A loud cadence that sent the other dwarfs scattering. She could see Thorin, crown on his head, and by his side was Bilbo, looking every bit as royal. Just behind them was Gandalf, they all had a determined look on their faces. They were marching right at her. _“Oh no.”_ she thought before they swept over her. She was being crushed by her friends. Hugs like a steel vise, head butts that would have knocked out anyone else. Someone was spinning her around and she was going to vomit. She was set down in front of the King and the Hobbit. “You...you left us. Again.” Bilbo's voice was strained. Like he was holding back tears. Before he could start crying she swept her friend up into a hug. “I'm so sorry. I had to do this. For you, Thorin, and Frodo. I couldn't let the cycle continue.” she said before setting her friend down on his feet, he nodded and scrubbed at his face. She turned her attention to Thorin. “Your Majesty...” she didn't get to finish. His arms were tight around her waist. He hugged her fiercely. After a moment he let her go. “I don't really understand any of what is going on but I swear to Mahal if you ever leave again I won't be held responsible for what the Company does to get you back.” his voice is rough but she knows that he's telling the truth. “No, I'm not leaving again. I promise.” she says looking at the faces of her friends. “Your all stuck with me. Besides I have a wedding to attend.” the blush that shows on Bilbo's cheeks makes her laugh. The cheer that goes up from them makes her heart soar. She was home.

“Now if someone could find me a bathtub, I think I want to spend the next age in it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's it. It's not my best work but this was just a series of disjointed thoughts that I tied together. The next story will be much better. Anyway thank you for taking the time to read this. I really appreciate it. On to the next.

**Author's Note:**

> I took a lot of liberties with the timeline so there's that. The first chapter moves pretty quickly. The subsequent ones will be slower.


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